Chiefs Coach Admits He Misses L'Jarius Sneed 'Every Day' After Trade

L'Jarius Sneed became one of the best defensive players in football in 2023, leading the Chiefs' secondary while regularly shutting down some of the most dangerous receivers in the game. He even made the defining play of the playoff run, cementing his status as a legend in the Kingdom.

His absence at training camp is felt across the organization after he spent his first four years in Kansas City, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo admitted to reporters how much he missed the 2020 fourth-round pick.

The Chiefs are excited about the great young players in the secondary, namely All-Pro Trent McDuffie, though there's no denying the difficulty in replacing a player of Sneed's caliber.

Steve Spagnuolo Says He Misses L'Jarius Sneed 'Every Day'

Speaking to reporters after the second day of camp on Monday, Spagnuolo said, "Almost every game, we had LJ (L’Jarius Sneed) travel with the 'top receiver,' whether we do that or not with Trent (McDuffie), it’ll just be a game-by-game plan. We’ll see who the other corner is and who the nickel is. There’s still a lot of unknowns right now. We got some work to do back there. We certainly miss LJ. I miss him every day."

Several players will have to step up, and there's no replicating Sneed's unique physicality and versatility. The Chiefs have done a great job finding players like Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, Bryan Cook, and even incoming rookie Jaden Hicks who fit Spagnuolo's scheme well. They'll likely utilize a committee approach to fill Sneed's role, illustrating the importance of the depth Brett Veach cultivated.

"Some of the schemes might change. We’ll see somebody going to step up and serve that particular role. If we don’t, we go in another direction and find another way to do it," continued Spagnuolo. "In the years we’ve been here...every game, travel a corner. We did it a little bit when Charvarius Ward was here; we did with him, but it’ll be a game-by-game thing.”

One of Spagnuolo's calling cards is hie versatile schemes and disguise coverages. Expect more of that orchestrated chaos this year, though we can all agree that Sneed will be sorrowly missed.

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